Autumn 2018 GCSE English Language GCSE English Literature Preparing for Mock and actual GCSEs.
GCSE English Language 2 Papers Mock exam in November will be a past/ sample paper 2.
Component 1: 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing Written examination: 1 hour 45 minutes 40% of qualification Component 2: 19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing Written examination: 2 hours 60% of qualification 6 Section A (20%) Reading One extract (about 80-100 lines) of literature from the twentieth century Section B (20%) Prose Writing One creative writing task drawn from a selection of four titles Section A (30%) Reading Two extracts (about 900-1200 words in total) of high-quality nonfiction writing from the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries Section B (30%) Writing Two compulsory transactional/persuasive writing tasks
Component 1: 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing Written examination: 1 hour 45 minutes 40% of qualification Component 2: 19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing Written examination: 2 hours 60% of qualification 6 Section A (20%) Reading One extract (about 80-100 lines) of literature from the twentieth century Section B (20%) Prose Writing One creative writing task drawn from a selection of four titles Section A (30%) Reading Two extracts (about 900-1200 words in total) of high-quality non-fiction writing from the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries Section B (30%) Writing Two compulsory transactional/persuasive writing tasks
Section A -Reading (40 marks) This section will test through structured questions the reading of two high-quality unseen non-fiction texts (about 900-1200 words in total), one from the 19th century, the other from the 21st century. Non-fiction texts may include, but will not be limited to: letters, extracts from autobiographies or biographies, diaries, reports, articles and digital and multi-modal texts of various kinds from newspapers and magazines, and the internet.
For example In her book, `A Wheel within a Wheel`, Frances Willard writes about why and how she learned to ride a bicycle. (19 th Century) Cycling in Britain: Re-inventing the wheel Charles Starmer-Smith rediscovers a lost love as he prepares to tackle one of cycling's toughest challenges.
Example comparison question: Both of these texts are about cycling. Compare: (a) how the writers feel about cycling; (b) how they make their views clear to the reader.
To prepare: Get the past titles from your teacher- practise planning for these tasks.
Section B Writing (40 marks) This section will test transactional, persuasive and/or discursive writing through two equally weighted compulsory tasks (20 marks each). Across the two tasks candidates will be offered opportunities to write for a range of audiences and purposes, adapting style to form and to real-life contexts in, for example, letters, articles, reviews, speeches.
Example Section B task: Your local council is considering hosting the Iron Man event in your area, which will involve over five hundred athletes taking part over twelve hours and several road closures. Write a letter to your councillor, stating your views on the idea.
Does punctuation matter? As well as counting for 8 out of 20 marks in Section B, accurate spelling and punctuation make your writing and expression clear. Incorrect punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence
Most of the time, travellers worry about their luggage. Now delete the comma after the fourth word to totally change the meaning of this sentence: Most of the time travellers worry about their luggage
Just one little comma can create a completely different picture in your reader s mind.
Autumn 2018 GCSE English Literature
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE 6 Component 1: :Shakespeare and Poetry Written examination: 2 hours 40% of qualification Section A (20%) Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet; Othello, OR Macbeth; One extract question and one essay question based on the reading of a Shakespeare text from the above prescribed list. Section B (20%) Poetry from 1789 to the present day Two questions based on poems from the WJEC Poetry Anthology, one of which involves comparison. Component 2: Post-1914 Prose/ Drama, 19 th Century Prose and Unseen Poetry Written examination: 2 hours and 30 minutes 60% of qualification Section A (20%) Post 1914 Prose/Drama An Inspector Calls (Priestley) OR Lord of The Flies One source based question Section B (20%) 19th Century Prose A Christmas Carol (Dickens) One source based question on this 19th century prose text. Section C (20%) Unseen Poetry Two questions on unseen poems, one of which involves comparison.
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE 6 Component 1: :Shakespeare and Poetry Written examination: 2 hours 40% of qualification Section A (20%) Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet; Othello, OR Macbeth; One extract question and one essay question based on the reading of a Shakespeare text from the above prescribed list. Section B (20%) Poetry from 1789 to the present day Two questions based on poems from the WJEC Poetry Anthology, one of which involves comparison. Component 2: Post-1914 Prose/ Drama, 19 th Century Prose and Unseen Poetry Written examination: 2 hours and 30 minutes 60% of qualification Section A (20%) Post 1914 Prose/Drama An Inspector Calls (Priestley) OR Lord of The Flies One source based question Section B (20%) 19th Century Prose A Christmas Carol (Dickens) One source based question on this 19th century prose text. Section C (20%) Unseen Poetry Two questions on unseen poems, one of which involves comparison.
Preparing for English Literature exams 1. Do you know the book/ play well enough? Re-read if necessary. 2. Map out the plot. Ideally you should know your text whichever it is as a series of episodes. You should then be able to pick the most suitable for a question. 3. Learn key quotations for each theme and character. These will overlap and cross reference.
Tips for learning quotations 1. Choose carefully! Short, effective and snappy quotations are the easiest to remember and will enable deeper language analysis. 2. Remember, remember rhymes and mnemonics. Creating little rhymes and mnemonics is a classic strategy for memorising quotations. It draws upon a few memory principles. First, repetition. We remember the rhythms and patterns of speech and song more easily. 3. Spaced repetition of quotations. 4. Flashcards and quizzing.. 5. Build the memory palace of quotations. The memory palace is a strategy that is thousands of years old. You create a palace, or a humble house, with multiple rooms. You then compartmentalise the rooms and start to allocate different quotations to different rooms, linking quotes to objects. 6. Chronological order will also help with the plot. 7. Use sticky notes and colour.